Saturday, December 31, 2011

Dick B. on A.A. "Conference-approved" Myths and Motivations

Please
post this much needed article from Pete's Stuff. It incorporates the long-ignored
Box 459 article that GSO said it couldn't find.

I
receive questions about this all the time; and people at conferences, Central
Offices, and meetings are confronted with the conference approved nonsense with
great frequency. Any AA can read anything any time anywhere for any purpose.
There is no Tradition that says otherwise.

There
is no law or rule or Tradition that can or should or will censor or censure
what is presented at a meeting.

And
if someone thinks they've found the mythical tradition, tell them the
Traditions are not laws, are not binding on anyone, and were never intended to
prohibit free speech or freedom of religion by AAs or others. Those who suggest
otherwise just don't know A.A. Nor do they know that early Alcoholics Anonymous
was a Christian Fellowship, studied the King James Version of the Bible, read
all kinds of literature--Protestant, Roman Catholic, New Thought, medical, and
otherwise, and put out reams and reams of pamphlets and guides as the years
went by. See www.dickb.com/drbob.shtml
and The Books Early AAs Read for Spiritual Growth, 7th ed. www.dickb.com/titles.shtml.

Included
were pamphlets from many Central Offices and Intergroups--including the
long-running Cleveland Central Bulletin—which had the Oxford Group’s Four
Absolutes on its Masthead foryears.
Also, the four AA of Akron AA pamphlets, which contained all kinds of quotes
from and about the Bible. Also The Four Absolutes themselves as explained in a
mid-western A.A. pamphlet—all about the writer’s interpretation of Absolute
Honest, Purity, Unselfishness, and Love.

Then
there were other writers mentioned below and not mentioned below--Clarence
Snyder, Sister Ignatia, Marty Mann, Father Pfau, Richmond Walker, Ed Webster,
and on-and-on. Writings by these AAs or A.A. friends were widely read in A.A.
and quoted in A.A. Pfau even had a radio program.

Not
to forget over 500 Oxford Group and Sam Shoemaker books and pamphlets that were
read and circulated by Dr. Bob himself. And I have read them all and seen them
available in many archives.

And,
let's not forget that the most ignored and suppressed writing of all - Anne
Smith's Journal – which contained the heart of early A.A. was read and discussed
almost every morning at the Smith home Quiet Times. In attendance were AAs,
families, and kids. See www.dickb.com/annesm.shtml.

Take
off the shackles, and use your mind! Better still, see what someone else has
had to say. Particularly, the Creator through what He revealed in His Word. Our
basic ideas came from there.

My
recent title Making
Known the Biblical History and Roots of Alcoholics Anonymous
specifically identifies hundreds and hundreds of writings that have contributed
to the origins, history, founding, principles, and practices of A.A. in just
the few years it has been in existence: http://www.dickb.com/makingknown.shtml

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About Me

Richard G. Burns holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Stanford University where he was Case Editor of the Stanford Law Review. He was a Phi Beta Kappa in his Junior Year at UC Berkeley. There he received an A.A. degree in economics with Honorable Mention. He was an Information and Education Specialist in the United States Army where he held the rank of Sgt. He attended the information-education school at Washington & Lee University. He practiced law in California from 1951 to 1986. He was president of the Corte Madera Chamber of Commerce, Corte Madera Center Merchants Council, Mill Valley Community Church, Redwoods Retirement Center, and Almonte District Improvemen Club. Also elected Director of the Almonte Sanitary District. He is a writer, historian, retired attorney, Bible student, CDAAC, and active recovered member of the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous with continuous sobriety beginning April 21, 1986.

He writes under the pen name Dick B. He has devoted 24 years to researching the history and successes of the early A.A. Christian Fellowship in Akron; and published 46 titles, more than 1450 articles, and materials on Facebook, Twitter, MauiHistorian.Blogspot.com, Alcoholics Anonymous History.com, In the Rooms, Linked-in, Tumbler, MauiHistorian.Word Press.com, Aa Historian WordPress.com, AA History with Dick B. on cyber recovery social, Dick B. YouTube Channel, Articles Base, GoArticles.com, SearchWarp, Self Growth Experts, Social network forums on International Christian Recovery Coalition Forums, Recovery Internet Fellowship, Cyber Recovery, Daily Recovery, Christian Recovery Ministries, radio, TV, and over 70 audio blogs on the history subject. He regularly conducts radio interviews of Christian Recovery Leaders and Workers on www.ChristianRecoveryRadio.com.

He is Executive Director of the International Christian Recovery Coalition and of Freedom Ranch Maui Incorporated. He is an Advisor to God's Way Ministry, a Christian Church and is also a consultant to Wyoming Pacific Oil Company. Listed in Marquis Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Law, Who's Who in Finance, and Gale's Contemporary Authors